
What is tracking? Tracker and scientist Louis Liebenberg makes a case that the Art of Tracking is the Origin of Science. A strong statement supported by the fact that the human brain co-evolved with other species to maximize survival of the original hunter-gatherer cultures. Today, such groups persist in limited areas and they rely on track and sign skills to hunt, gather food, and stay safe. Our industrialized brains remain hard-wired for this level of awareness, but modern life is distracting. There is hope through tracking. It can start with simply asking whether a track in the dust represents a dog or a mountain lion. For the hunter-gatherer and city-dweller alike, tracking begins with awareness of the natural world and a recognition that all species leave evidence behind. An early tracking experience from simple clues on the ground led me to see that a bobcat had stopped to drink from a puddle. The water had evaporated, the bobcat was long gone, but the story remained visible in the soil. This is why I consider tracking to be the highest form of eavesdropping.